The Imperfect Plan
by Ratin8tor
Summary: The Doctor is forced to work with two unlikely people


Things were not going quite according to plan. Granted, they very rarely did, but sometimes the Doctor wished that there weren't quite so many unexpected complications. Two of which were sitting in front of him at the moment.

The first was a stranger, a lanky fellow who was all chin and bowties. Normally being the prisoner of the Stenza would be something that struck fear into the hearts of most men, but this fellow seemed to have a nervous energy of a house cat locked in on a rainy day.

The other was a man quite familiar to the Doctor. Someone he had known exceptionally well. And while the rules of time made it explicitly clear that he couldn't interfere, a part of him was really hoping to snap that blasted recorder in tune.

"Oh that was very good," said the stranger, as the Doctor's younger self smiled and took a mock bow. "I use to play the recorder you know, back when I was a young man. A different man, one might say."

"Indeed," said the Doctor dryly, as he continued to exam the lock of the cage he'd just been thrown into. His main hope was that Ace was still free and planning a rescue of them as they spoke. But the lack of explosions and confused yelling was making that possibility seem more remote.

"Do you have any requests?" the youngest man asked, holding the recorder to his lips.

"Some silence would be appreciated," the Doctor said, as he attempted to meditate. Every lock had a key, it was simply a matter of finding one.

"Well if that's how you're going to be" said the youngest man grumpily, pocketing his recorder. "I suppose we need to think of a way to get out."

"I am working on it as we speak," said the Doctor, eyes still shut.

"No you're not," said the stranger.

"Yes I am."

"No you're not, you're sleeping. Can't beat a good sleep though, can you. Always gets the juices flowing after a good nap."

The Doctor sighed and tried to block out the prattle, but it was no use. His past self was bad, in the usual 'universe-ending paradox' kind of way, but this stranger... this stranger was just infuriating.

"Well if you're not going to get us out of here," said the Doctor's past self, walking over to the door and banging on it.

"Excuse me," he called out into the corridor. "I think you're leader will like to speak to me. I'm a very important man you know."

"Oh yes, very important," said the stranger, running over to help the little man. "Totally important. And you can trust him, he has a bowtie. You can't go wrong with a bowtie."

"Thank you," said the young Doctor, smiling at this stranger with a sense of familiarity.

"That isn't going to work," the Doctor said, only to be unpleasantly surprised when the guard did then appear. Granted having a guard appear was always a good sign that something was about to happen, even if it was a sign that read 'inevitable painful death' on it, but for such a tactic to work... The Doctor thought that the Stenza were better than that.

Their manners, however, were exactly what he expected, as the three men were roughly dragged down the corridor and into a main throne room. The Doctor couldn't help but glance at his younger self, worried about any possible complications that could arise.

"I say, you've redecorated," said the Doctor's younger self.

"I don't like it," said the stranger.

The Doctor had to agree with the other two, the decor was somewhat hideous. The Stenza loved displaying their trophies for all to see, but such barbarism was sickening for him.

"Kneel," said the King of the Stenzas, as he eyed down his prisoners.

"No, thank you," the young Doctor said, with the youthful arrogance that almost surprised the Doctor in how it never got him killed.

"Knees aren't what they use to be," said the stranger, turning away from the King and going for a wander.

"I will not tolerate any foolishness," snarled the King. "I am the lord of this land. The greatest of all hunters. The alpha, the omega-"

The Doctor smiled, ready to whip out his pithy comeback... only to be deflated when the stranger suddenly replied with "unlimited fish fingers!".

"You know, you Stenza think you're so great, but you really do have one hilarious weakness," the stranger said, as he walked round the room, some strange device in hand. The Doctor frowned, hearing what seemed like a familiar hum. But no, that would mean...

"The Stenza have no weakness," the King gloated, as he rose from his chair to reveal his full height.

"Oh come now, everyone has a weakness," the stranger said. "That little fellow there is terribly unorganized. And the other thinks he knows what he's doing most of the time."

"There's nothing wrong with a bit of chaos," the other man said, as he too whipped out a device.

"What are you doing?" asked the King.

"Well your hunting expertise gets a bit of noticed from the universal police," the stranger said. "The Shadow Proclamation ring a bell?"

"They are of no concern to us."

"Ah, well, they are when we put a bounty on you," the young Doctor said sheepishly. "Every bounty hunter in the universe is interested in you now."

"Let them come," sneered the King. "I'll take them all down."

"Yes, but you know what the Judoon are like," the stranger said. "They hate when anything is out of place. They try to stamp on this as quick as possible. Ready?"

"Ready," replied the younger Doctor, leaving the Doctor baffled at what was happening. His nicely laid out plan for toppling the empire was being toppled as he watched.

Suddenly there were flashes of lights as squadrons of Judoon teleported in, quickly surrounding the King and his guards. Before any of them could react they found themselves starring down the barrels of several high powered disruption cannons.

"Fo mo ho sto lo go no," said the lead Judoon, as he presented the handcuffs to the King.

"I'd go with him if I was you," the stranger said. "He isn't going to ask twice."

The King snarled but, realizing the hunt was lost, meekly submitted himself and his royal guards to the authorities. Another flash of light and they were gone.

"Professor," cried a familiar voice.

"Yes?" said the Doctor, whipping around to see his companion.

"Yes?" said the stranger, beaming with delight and opening up his arms for a hug.

"Wait a moment," the Doctor said, turning to the man and giving him a good look for the first time. Underneath the bowtie and the swagger, behind those eyes...

"No," the Doctor said.

"Yep," the Doctor replied, grinning happily. "The latest and greatest, if I do say so myself. Oh, and you did a very good job."

"Why thank you," said the youngest Doctor modestly, as he tried to flatten his clothes to no avail. "I must say, getting the Judoon to arrest them was a stroke of genius."

"Well, helps that I've seen it happen twice now," the older Doctor said slyly.

"But my plan!" protested the Doctor. All those months of careful manipulation, the arrangement of the chess pieces, the preparing his companions for the role they were to undertake while not telling them the grand plan.

"Yes yes, it was a very good plan," said the older Doctor. "Believe me, I remember. But, you know, sometimes it's just easier to let someone else take care of it."

"Well I have to be off," the youngest Doctor said. "The Time Lords wanted the Stenza King taken care of and I think that fulfils my mission for them."

"Goodbye Doctor," said the oldest Doctor, shaking his young self's hand. "Don't bother remembering any of this, you know you won't."

"How long did you know about this?" the Doctor asked his youngest self.

"Moment we were thrown into the same prison cell together. Does wonders to actually talk to other people you know."

"And you weren't going to tell me?" the Doctor asked, turning to his older incarnation.

"Well you know how it is, web of time, got to keep things preserved, all that good stuff."

"Really?" the Doctor asked, rolling his 'r's for that extra emphasis.

"That and, well..." The older Doctor looked at his younger self and let out a sheepish grin. "The look on your face was priceless."

The Doctor didn't say anything, vowing that when the time came, and he felt the moment overtake him as he began anew, to really whack himself one as payback for what he'd turn into.

"Come on Ace," the Doctor said. "We have work to do."


End file.
